Member countries of the UN zoomed in on the increasing need for reforming the institutions of global governance. The centerpiece of the developing countries voices, at the UNGA-79 and sideline meetings, is one and the same—multilateral institutions must be fitted to the context of the 21st century.
Ethiopia, as usual, puts forward its solid stance for the creation of a fairer world system. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye Atseke Selassie at a BRICS meeting of foreign affairs on the sidelines of the UNGA-79 mentioned the fact that there is “a rising expectation and interest in what the BRICS framework seeks to achieve by advocating for reform of institutions of global governance by ensuring equitable representation and voice in global affairs.”
Peace and development are hard to come by in the absence of equality. If the voices of some quarters are heard and of others never get a chance to be made on world stages, it brings damage of unparalleled proportion to our world. That is why countries are urging the global body, the UN, and its systems to undertake reforms.
In what could be regarded as a step forward, the G20 under Brazil’s presidency adopted a “Call to Action on Global Governance Reform” on September 25, 2024. It also reasoned out the benefits of the reform and listed out the entities of the global governance system that need the reform. It raises its concerns on the practices of the UN and WTO as well as the loan and quotas at the IMF.
The topic of reforming the global governance system has received increasing traction this time around among the member states of course. The UN on its coverage of the meeting on the 23rd of September 2024 published a story headlined “Warning Inaction Could Create ‘Dark Future’, Delegates Urge Remaking Global Governance to Benefit All Countries, Not Bolster Powerful Few, as Summit of the Future Concludes.”
The bottom line is—such repeated calls must not fall on deaf ears.
The current system was crafted to capture the realities of 1940s and a few decades may be, of course. Today, our world is moving at an unprecedented speed due to the advent of digital technology. And practices of the global governance system must be fine-tuned with the current realities. Its wheels must be lubricated with the oils of equality and fraternity.
If goes unchecked, the current system will end up in friction of higher proportion that wears out the essential components of the global apparatus. That is a real danger ahead of us.
No denying, we are living in a multipolar world. The emerging of various economies in various parts of our globe has flickered hopes that the room for equality and cooperation will get expanded. Emerging economies are coming together to make their voices heard louder. The emergence and expansion of BRICS and the G-20 that incorporated the AU in its membership ranks are cases in point in this regard. Through these groupings, developing countries could push for the creation of a fairer world.
The reform will shape the old global body to grow young and its systems bear sweet fruits. And it is high time to quickly take concrete measures that level the way for a better future.
The Ethiopian Herald September 29/2024
